Claim your Future Erasmus Project

Project Title

Claim your Future

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; Inclusion – equity; Reaching the policy level/dialogue with decision makers

Project Summary

Project Claim your Future set the ambition to inspire students to steer change and innovation in their region. In the rapidly changing and globalising world of today and tomorrow, you need to be financially and economically independent. This independence asks for developing new skills such as personal leadership and an entrepreneurial mind-set. Young people recognize this need, along with the urgency to develop their ambitions and sense of belonging in an inclusive society.

Project Claim your Future was an initiative of VET schools, universities (of applied sciences) and NGO’s of 6 countries in Europe, placing students in the lead position. The project was a unique multilevel and cross-sectoral collaboration in regions and in Europe, where innovation took place initiated and executed by students themselves. Consortium partners Friesland College (NL), Inova+ (PT), Bridging to the Future (UK), KSPMC (LT), Servei Solidari (ES) and Hamburger Stiftung fur Migranten (DE) developed innovative tools through regional and European action: a transnational training for social entrepreneurial thinking and action with impact, peer workshops and training, a think tank platform and activities, a longitudinal measurement tool of learning and a method about students in the lead. Aim of the activities and tools was to inspire young people to steer change and innovation, through becoming role models to their peers and through raising awareness. Students became aware of the fact that an ongoing investment is needed in skills and ambitions for the rest of their lives. Innovation asks for new role models, therefore Claim your Future students will be the first generation to start change.

More than 180 students were part of Claim your Future teams in the course of 3,5 project years. They reached more than 1000 young people around them with their workshops and presentations as role models. Altogether, Claim your Future students and teams involved more than 3000 people with their activities.

The sustainable collaboration of students, educational institutes, regional social entrepreneurs and government created new infrastructures that allow young people to get involved and create an ongoing impact. They influenced the process of local /regional policy- and decision making so that they influenced the future. Local and regional government developed a sense of relevance and urgency in involving students in policy and decision making. Through the collaboration of different educational levels (VET and HEI), participating organisations contributed to a higher educational level, a better employment and employability of their young people and a focus on social entrepreneurial skills. Due to the wide range of innovative activities, the project delivered input for the improvement of educational systems, of local / regional government and of the socio- economic infrastructure.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 402757 Eur

Project Coordinator

STICHTING VOOR ALGEMEEN VOORGEZET ONDERWIJS, BEROEPSONDERWIJS EN VOLWASSENENEDUCATIE & Country: NL

Project Partners

• Kauno statybos ir paslaugu mokymo centras
• FUNDACIO PRIVADA SERVEI SOLIDARI PER LA INCLUSIO SOCIAL
• INOVA+ – INNOVATION SERVICES, SA
• verikom – Verbund für interkulturelle Kommunikation und Bildung e.V.
• BRIDGING TO THE FUTURE LTD
• Hamburger Stiftung für Migranten